It was cool, it was all pretend (Jake)

Subject: It was cool, it was all pretend (Jake) Mon Jul 30, 2018 8:17 pm

As Christmas drew nearer, the children's excitement grew with each day. Not only were they expecting a bunch of presents from Santa but they were nearly bouncing of the walls at the idea of Auntie Victoria's visit. Azalea had not seen the younger Newbury in well over a decade and had forgotten most things about the child, but the children only took that as a challenge, filling her in on their amazing aunt who always had time for them and bought them present and spoiled them silly.

Everyone seemed to be looking forwards to the young witch's visit, apparently the family hadn't been all together since thanksgiving and even then, Victoria had only flown in for two or three days. This time, Mrs. Newbury was sure she would stay at least until after New Year and the spare, spare room had been made up. Azalea herself might have worried at the idea of meeting the former Wormwood after so long but she was kept too busy to worry. After the decorations, there were the elaborate dinner preparations. Nothing got done by halves this time of year and even the children had to help.

School break for Adrienne began earlier than Ivan, giving Azalea more time with the young witch which was perfectly fine with her. By the time Ivan was let off from school a few days later, Adrienne had already started insisting that Azalea tell the bedtime story when dandy could not. If this insistence annoyed Alexis, the older witch did not say so. Only passing he book to Azalea to continue reading while the children struggled with sleepy eyes.

It was three days before Christmas that the call came from America, and despite no one saying a word in front of the children or even behind them, Azalea could sense the change in the atmosphere. that night as she fell asleep, she thought she may have felt Jake holding on to her for comfort instead of the other way around but the feeling was so fleeting, it had vanished by morning. Perhaps it had never been real in the first place?

The next two days were spent consoling the children over the fact that their aunt would not be coming, and both took it in varying degrees of distress. Adrienne began to wail loudly until Azalea gathered the child in her arms and distracted her while Ivan simply looked at his father to confirm if the news was real. The little boy looked ready to deny the sky being snowy if his father said so.

That night, Alexis and Henry came to tuck the kids in but left early. Tomorrow would be Christmas even and the older witch would have a lot more to do. Azalea as usual was left to read the day's bedtime story and she did not with as much gusto and excitement as she could project in her voice. While her strength had been slowly returning, she wasn't at her best yet and though the regular natural sleep had been adding color to her cheeks and brightness to her eyes, there was still a pronounced caution on her brow, displayed whenever she was unsure.

The story wasn't helping, that much was obvious and in the end, Adrienne simply raised her arms for a cuddle. Unable to refuse, Azalea moved from her chair to the child's bed, scooping her up in her arm. Ivan watched curiously as the American witch rocked his sister gently, afraid to crawl in beside her. By the time Jake finally got home an peeked in, both children were asleep with Azalea quietly placing Adrienne back into her bed.

"Don't worry, they're fine," she reassured herself more than him as Jake moved to kiss each child before heading off to change. By the time he was back in the spare room, Azalea was already wrapped up in blankets, her eyes closed but her mind refusing to sleep until he was lying down beside her.

Going back to the potion was going to prove unbearable, she thought as she drifted off, only opening ehr eyes to the grey light of dawn.

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It was cool, it was all pretend (Jake) Rsz_gr10

It was cool, it was all pretend (Jake) Rsz_az10

It was cool, it was all pretend (Jake) Rsz_li10

Subject: Re: It was cool, it was all pretend (Jake) Mon Jul 30, 2018 9:19 pm

As days continued on, the normality of having Azalea in the house began to feel... too natural. Seeing Adrienne so happy, and Ivan slowly warming to the idea of the witch was proof that having a woman around the house that was not his mom was fruitful. The thought had been squashed almost the moment Jake had thought of it, though, feeling terrible for wishing someone would come in and take Veronika's place after what... just a few days.

No, he steeled himself from such thoughts, knowing they were not wise to dwell upon.

But, he couldn't help being happy when his children were, and before Azalea went back to Carmel by the Sea, Jake would have to take her out for dinner and thank her, personally, for helping out with the children during this period. A period where excitement levels were through the roof, and more than four hands were needed to get everything done.

As the schools broke out, Jake came away from work on Annual Leave. His dad would be working up to Christmas Eve, as normal, but the rest of them had no time to rest. Getting everything ready for the big day took a lot of work, and the kids had a million and one things they wanted to do ready for Santa's visit. Everything was going really well, until the call that had come from the States only a couple of days before Christmas.

His mom's face had fallen when the news had been given, for half a moment Jake had feared something terrible had happened, but as Alexis Newbury had managed to say that it was 'okay that you can't make it', Jake's features had turned from concern to anger. When he'd been passed the phone, Jake had left the room where Azalea and the kids had been making something with much too much pink glitter on it for Aunty Victoria to speak to his sister.

"I'm sorry I can't come home Jake, wor-"

"It's Christmas."

"I know, Jake, I'm sorry, but if I don't st-"

"With him?"

"Well yes, but-"

"It's Christmas, Victoria."

"Jake... you know I wouldn't stay if it wasn't a necessity."

"Mmm."

"I miss you, Jake, and the children."

"Mmm."

"Please don't be mad."

"I've got to go." Jake had replied, passing the phone to his mom who had come to the lounge door to check on her children's phone call. Jake had left his mom to it, not wanting to talk to his sister for the foreseeable future, and instead returned to tell the kids it was time to get washed up and ready for bed. A groan had ensued, but they had complied five minutes later when the last pink pom pom had been added to the structure Jake hadn't been able to make out. He hid the news from the children, knowing exactly who their efforts had been aimed at, and after they'd tucked the children in to bed, Jake had been all to glad to retreat to the spare bedroom.

And took something of a liberty of having Azalea beside him as he hugged her close to him, needing just for a moment to feel the comfort of someone, anyone beside him.

Telling the children had not gone well, but Azalea had calmed Adrienne down whilst Ivan had not known what to do with his own disappointment. The eight year old had stood looking puzzled for a moment, before asking the one question that children were always prone to. 'Why?' Jake had explained that she was busy with her work, and that she would be home another time. That... Jake had looked around for a moment before his eyes fell upon Azalea, they had a guest anyway, and Azalea should be treated with an amazing Newbury Christmas. Ivan had taken the logic and hurried off to help Azalea console his little sister, and Jake had let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding as he tried not to get mad at Victoria all over again.

It wasn't her fault, it was the bloody politician she'd gotten in with.

The night before Christmas Eve had seen Jake crawl in to the spare bed exhausted, his anger hadn't waned enough for his shoulders to relax, there was so much to do tomorrow, Jake didn't want to have to wake up the next morning. Sleeping all day would be preferable, but such things could not be granted.

Something that was shown only a few hours after he'd finally fallen asleep to the tune of Santa Claus Is Coming To Town being played on a pots with a wooden spoons by Adrienne and Ivan under the careful tuition of Alexis Newbury. It was vastly out of tune, the children were out of time with one another, but they were happy, they were laughing, and even if you wanted to sleep all day, Jake couldn't help the small smile that touched his features at the scene. "Come on, Daddy, time to get uppppp!" Adrienne announced, banging her pot with no tune at all right next to Jake before she put it down and climbed up next to him, only to stop as she saw Azalea beside him.

Where the children thought Azalea had been sleeping, Jake did not know, but Adrienne's features changed in that moment, a grin touching her features as she scrambled over her father -- unceremoniously kicking him in the stomach -- before moving much more carefully to Azalea's side. "Zay-lea?" The child mock whispered, leaning on the older witch with her full weight in a manner that only children couldn't realise was quite a lot heavier than they realised. "It's Christmas Eve!" She continued, still whispering as if the pots and pans hadn't done their work. "We need you to come and help!"

Rolling on to his back, Jake reached forth and pulled Adrienne off of Azalea, and in to a bear hug -- though, of course, not tight enough to hurt the child. "You're so full of energy this morning!" He mused, pressing a kiss on his daughter's cheek before motioning for Ivan to join them. The boy did, getting comfy beside his dad and cuddling in to him happily as Jake placed a kiss upon his head.

"Nanny is making us a biiiiiig breakfast, but only if you get up!" Adrienne explained, settling herself between Jake and Azalea quite happily. "I'm going to eat allllllllll of it!" The youngest Newbury insisted, and Jake let out a soft laugh as he looked across to Azalea, offering her a silent apology for being woken so unceremoniously.

"And what about Azalea? If you eat all of the food, what will she eat?" Jake asked, making Adrienne look to her new friend with worry for a moment before she snuggled in to Azalea in a silent apology for having hypothetically eaten all of her food.

Some days, you wanted to sleep in, but you could never wish not to have morning cuddles in bed with your children after being unceremoniously awoken, either.

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Subject: Re: It was cool, it was all pretend (Jake) Tue Jul 31, 2018 7:38 pm

The next morning came with a surprise for both Jake and Azalea as the young witch was awakened not by the sounds of pots and pans being banged out of tune but rather by Adrienne's tiny weight at her side. Where all the noise and opening and closings of doors had not roused the witch from her deep slumber, the presence of a child had done the trick. Even before Azalea's eyes opened to the world, a hand slowly reached out to pat the little girl crawling up beside her, to make sure she was okay.

As her brown eyes opened however, he felt the weight disappear and looked up in alarm, only to notice that Adrienne hadn't disappeared. Jake had merely retrieved the child and pulled her into a cuddle, Ivan tucked safely on his other side.

"I can help," the witch confirmed blearily, unsure where she was needed but sure of the fact that she would do whatever was needed. Not only did helping give the witch a sense of purpose in this house, it also made her feel as if she was repaying a tiny bit of the debt she was slowly accumulating courtesy of the Newbury family.

When Adrienne declared she would eat all the breakfast, Azalea ha to hide a smile. The child was full after two cookies, the idea of ehr devouring an Alexis Newbury style grand breakfast was a wonder in itself. However, the smile couldn't stay hidden when Jake questioned what their guest would eat, making Adrienne silently curl up in apology.

"That's okay, I'll just eat Adrienne," Azalea interjected, baring ehr teeth in the first sign of a joke she had made in over a decade. Moving erh head gently towards the child, Azalea nudged ehr carefully before moving to give ehr a quick kiss on teh cheek. "Yummy," she added as the child giggled. Even Ivan - who had initially become alarmed at the idea of the strange lady eating his sister, ended up laughing at Adrienne's squeals of joy.

It wasn't just the joke though, Azalea reflected a few minutes later as she was brushing her teeth. Catching her own reflection in the mirror surprised the with. The bags under her eyes were naturally lighter, the hint of color on her cheeks more obvious than it had been two weeks ago. Only a few weeks of regular sleep, good meals and the company of children was slowly changing her into... a real person. The pain that had defined her existence for so long was still there... but it was now making enough room to accommodate something else too.

Once she had showered and changed, Azalea med her way down the stair and into the living area only to find herself the odd one out. While Jake and the children were dressed in new Christmas jumpers clearly the handiwork of the house's matriarch, Azalea was clad in her usual ensemble of dark leggings and an oversize shirt that was no longer needed to hide a growing pregnancy. As a result, the garment hung off her shoulder in waves of unnecessary fabric, pooling around her waist and hips in a shapeless lump.

Thankfully the fact that she stuck out like a sore thumb was ignored in favor of the baking mania taking place. Despite only the family minus Victoria and plus Azalea being present for Christmas dinner, there were seven kinds of baked goods alone being served. Jake was quickly put in charge of the gingerbread men while the children were in chagrin of decoration. the mess that ensued with whipped cream and frosting everywhere was legendary and had the whole family laughing boisterously through the entire affair.

After kitchen time and lunch, the children had been sent for their baths to free them off the frosting and the remainder of the afternoon was spent playing games. From lego to video games (Ivan crushed Jake at Mario Kart though Azalea suspected some game fixing there) to even a round of scrabble where Adrienne insisted some words were words and no one had the heart to tell her otherwise. By the end of round three, Ivan had impressed everyone with his growing vocabulary while his sister had convinced everyone that "Sudundoo" was an actual word and that the dictionary people just didn't know it yet.

Dinner was a much quieter affair both because the children were tired out and because they were under the happy misunderstanding that if they were really quiet and good, grandma would let them at least open one present. Throughout the meal, both children kept peeking not so secretly towards the brightly decorated tree that housed a small mountain of presents. There were even some bright pink packages that must have come from Victoria earlier in the day through express shipping.

Sadly for the youngsters, no such expectations were met and the children were told to eat their cookie and drink their milk, and to leave some for Santa so he too could have a treat. It took an hour to calm the excited children down enough for them to fall asleep but when they were finally done, Jake and Azalea existed the children's room exhausted themselves. As Jake closed the door softly behind them, Azalea instinctively wanted to look in again. It would take some time for her to realize the children were safe but until then, there would always be a part of her that would wonder when she would wake up to feel the emptiness that came with losing a child.

"Will they be okay..?" she asked uncertainly, her eyes lingering on the door even as Jake moved towards the spare bedroom. Christmas Eve would be the worst night for something untoward to happen. And Azalea refused to let anything of that nature happen on her watch - not on any night.

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Subject: Re: It was cool, it was all pretend (Jake) Tue Jul 31, 2018 8:01 pm

Christmas Eve was as busy as it always was. His mom loved to bake on Christmas Eve -- baking a mountain of treats that would do all of Jake's efforts in the gym for the past year a great deal of damage as he slogged through the various shaped gingerbread men -- the kids wanted to play every game under the sun in the house all at once, and they even managed to get the Pops involved in it all too. Well, the games, there was no way in the world Henry Newbury would be caught in the kitchen if he could ever help it.

By the time they'd put the children to bed that evening, Jake could feel the sleep he so very much needed creeping up on him again. There was no way he could sleep in in the morning, either. The children would be up at the crack of dawn in their excitement, hurrying to wake the adults of the house up. Usually, they would be accompanied by Victoria, who couldn't sleep either, but that tradition was going to be broken this year.

Jake had caught himself watching Azalea with the children that evening. The tenderness in her mannerisms as she tucked Adrienne in to bed, kissing his daughter's head softly and wishing her good night. It was returned with the softest 'Night Zay-lea' from the five year old who was fighting sleep just hard enough to get those words out. When Azalea had cracked a joke that morning with Adrienne, Jake couldn't help but wonder if this should have been something he'd suggested to Kit and Clara a long time ago. Adrienne and Ivan were not her children, but they were children, Azalea had always loved children...

The process had been repeated with great care with Ivan, the young boy still not sure of Azalea, but growing slightly warmer to the witch each day. True to form he pulled a face when she kissed his head, but the underlying smile gave away the fact that he didn't really mind the action. He might not know what was going on entirely, but Ivan Newbury was not a bad kid, he was just cautious of new people.

As Azalea moved away from the beds, Jake moved slightly out of the way of the door way so that she could get out of the room, and then very, very quietly shut the door behind her, making sure not to wake the children as they drifted off in to dreams he could only hope were filled of the excitement of what tomorrow would bring.

The Auror turned towards his room to go and get a shower and changed, when Azalea spoke up, and he realised she wasn't following him towards the spare room. The question was one that caught Jake off guard. As a parent, it was never nice to have your decisions in respect of the children questioned. Whether they would be alright was never a concern of Jake's. They had everything they needed, the house was as safe as it could possibly be. Whilst he hadn't explained such things to Azalea, and she couldn't possibly know of them, he wondered why she would think they wouldn't be. It took a moment for him to remember that Azalea didn't understand what she might have just insinuated, a moment to remember she didn't always understand things as they were.

"They're quite safe, I promise." Jake assured the witch with a smile. "They're not going anywhere. Not without getting past me first. The house is charmed so that no one can get in that I don't want to be here. With my job, I thought it was best to ensure the children could never be harmed. So... you don't need to worry."

Hoping this would be enough, Jake held out his hand to Azalea, a subtle statement that she did not need to stay here at the children's bedroom door for the evening.

They would be fine.

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Subject: Re: It was cool, it was all pretend (Jake) Tue Jul 31, 2018 8:18 pm

The witch merely nodded as Jake explained how the children were safe, taking in each cautionary measure put in place. Was that the problem with the hospital? Had it not been warded well enough? Had there not been enough safety charms in place? How could someone come in and take... But these children got to be safe in their bed, anticipating a happy Christmas with their family? Who got to decide these things?

Jake wouldn't have the answer to any of those questions though, so the brunette simply took his preferred hand, letting him lead her away from the children's door to the spare room which had now become her refuge. Her next question came after Jake had emerged from his shower. The witch hadn't moved from erh place at the end of the bed while he'd been way, the question eating at her as she tried not to focus on the sound of running water in the bathroom.

"Do you think... Mimosa is okay?" With her daughter back in Carmel, Kit and Clara couldn't call as often as they'd like, only maintaining communication when the child was asleep or outside. From the few tidbits Azalea had managed to gather, Mimosa was doing well and having fun showing her friend around the entire town.

But seeing the Newbury children having so much fun, having so many people dote on them made her wonder if her daughter would be subjected to anything in the same league. Kit and Clara had never been big on Christmas but was that because Azalea had never been big on Christmas or because they didn't want to. What if there was no one to fuss Neruda Mimosa and ensured she got her fair share of presents? Would Mimosa feel as loved and contented as the Newbury children during the holiday season?

Worse still, was it Azalea's job to make her daughter feel that way and she was here, doing nothing of the sort?

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Subject: Re: It was cool, it was all pretend (Jake) Tue Jul 31, 2018 8:34 pm

Having Azalea comply with coming away from the children's door -- he had no issue with her sitting there if it would be of use to the witch, but they both knew that letting her sit there would not lead to healthy ideas being formulated in Azalea's mind. No, keeping things in moderation still had to be abided by, and Jake was not going to be easily swayed from the idea. He was no psychologist, but he knew what was healthy, and sitting outside the children's room all night was not.

He'd left her to change for bed before retreating for his ensuite, showering and freshening up from the day's antics. The cool mint body wash left his skin with the refreshed tingle he'd grown used to over the years, and the Auror pulled on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt before heading back to the spare room. Azalea sat poised on the bed. A question ready for him almost as soon as he entered. A question that brought a smile to Jake's lips as he moved to sit on the bed, contemplating the matter.

"I think Mimosa is probably having the best time in the world, right now." Jake told the witch, and though that time was not being spent with him, Jake didn't feel saddened by this. "Our daughter," Merlin that sounded weirder than when he'd started to think of Mimosa as 'my daughter'. "Is very, very loved. Very happy. She has an abundance of friends, and her family..."

Jake paused for a moment, not knowing how much Azalea knew. It had taken a while for Jake to understand it, but he could simplify what he knew.

"Mimosa has your dad and Clara as her immediate family. They love her very much, they spoil her rotten, and as far as I can tell, Mimosa loves them very deeply. She talks about Carmel when we meet to practice her Beating, and... well, since September she's admitted to missing home. So, I think that whatever she's doing at the moment, she will be really, really happy doing it." Jake explained, hoping this would be good. "She's taken Mercy to Carmel with her this year, you remember Mercy, right? The Gryffindor witch I told you about? Mercy and Mimosa are inseparable, so I'm sure they've been causing Kit and Clara a headache back home together.

"And then, Mimosa has... there's the family in France. The Clements? I don't understand how the whole thing works, if I'm honest. But the Clements have like... made her their ward -- some medieval European thing I think, I don't know. Basically means they will look after her. But, anyway, that family love our daughter very much too. They're always sending her presents at Hogwarts. So, they might be heading to Carmel for Christmas too? In which case, Mimosa is going to be more than fine. She's going to be so, so, so encased in loving family and friends, she's going to have the best Christmas in the world...

"And... well, maybe... maybe next year we can join them. I don't know, though. The situation is complicated..." Jake finally managed, not knowing whether what he'd said was enough in that moment. "But... Mimosa is okay, she's safe with your dad and Clara. They would tell us in an instant if there was a problem."

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Subject: Re: It was cool, it was all pretend (Jake) Tue Jul 31, 2018 8:58 pm

"Why does she need another family?" the witch interjected even before Jake was done with his explanation of how Mimosa would be doing this time of year. Trying to recall if they ever had any family in France, Azalea came up blank, Though that wasn't a surprise, ehr memory was only slowly turning and a distant family connection would probably not be given priority.

As Jake further detailed how they had taken Mimosa as a ward, the witch's brow furrowed in further confusion. Her daughter had some kind of royal or aristocratic title? The closest thing Azalea herself had known to royalty was the Queen of the azalea festival, and that was crowned to a different pageant contestant every year.

"I don't understand..." she began, trying to imagine if this family would look after her Mimosa well. Did the child have ehr own room to sleep and study in? A big enough play area? the most lavish place in France Azalea knew of was the Capulet Manor and even that had been somewhat compromised with Mr. and Mrs. Capulet's presence.

"Oh, I think... three's a mistake," Slowly, her eyes drifted shut as another memory emerged, one of a long, long time ago. A grand ballroom and girls dressed in white walking down a stage. A strong arm separating her from a current dance partner as if the action required no effort. A small laugh as Azalea corrected the tall boy of his assumptions.

"I can't remember who, but someone once mistook me for being from a fancy English family. Their last name had Harrington in it, but it was double barreled. Do you think the Clements mistakenly think Mimosa is related to those Harringtons? Because she's not, she's... our..." the witch draped her gaze to her hands once more at the last bit, not daring to look at Jake in the aftermath of the admission.

Mimosa may have resulted from their brief time together but right now, they were little more than strangers on the cusp of maybe trying to form a friendship completely necessitated by circumstance.

If either o them had a choice in the matter, they would not be here.

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Subject: Re: It was cool, it was all pretend (Jake) Tue Jul 31, 2018 9:15 pm

"Why does she need another family?"

"I don't know," Jake replied softly. He'd been trying to work the same thing out ever since he'd found out about this relationship with the Clements. It made no sense to Jake. Azalea's dad was Kit, he 'mom' figure had always been Clara. There was, to his knowledge, no other person in the Harrington family that should have access to Mimosa. "But, I learned not to question what was already established, not if I want to get to tell Mimosa that she's my- if we can get to tell her that she's our daughter." Jake explained, correcting himself.

Though, did he really believe Kit Harrington would hold the same stipulations to Azalea once she was better?

No, of course not.

They could freeze him out of his daughter's life, but to not allow Azalea would be impossible for Kit and Clara if they wanted both of the girls to live under the same roof one day. That, though, was not something Azalea needed to hear about. That would not do the witch any good what so ever, and that was something between Jake and Kit, nobody else.

The question of whether the Clements had mistake their daughter for someone else was something Jake could not answer. The only thing he knew of the Clements was that of the two children he had taught. There was nothing else he could find.

"I honestly don't know, Azalea. I wish I did, but nobody has explained it to me..." Jake explained to the witch, leaving it unsaid that he hadn't asked because he didn't feel comfortable asking such questions. He was walking on eggshells to get to the possibility of telling Mimosa the truth of who he was, and he was not going to jeopardise that with a wrongly placed question.

"But... what I do know is, the Clements... make her happy. The same as Kit and Clara have for the past decade or so. So... what more can we ask for?" He posed rhetorically. He'd asked his mom the same when they'd sat down and spoken of it. When they'd searched and found nothing that could possibly tie the Clements and the Harringtons together, save for Mimosa being appointed ward. It made no sense, but if their daughter had everything she wanted... everything she needed...

Drawing his legs up on to the bed, Jake sat cross legged, watching Azalea for a few moments. The uncertainty he had was probably amplified in the slender frame of the witch before him. He didn't have the answers to take it away, either. If he could have eased the worry, he would have, but he didn't have the answer on how to do so. Not fully.

Leaning forward slightly, Jake rested his hand just above the witch's knee and gave a small, reassuring squeeze. Hoping it would convey something to settle Azalea. "Mimosa is more than okay, she's safe. She's happy. And most importantly, everyone in her life loves her very much. I can be certain of that much."

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Subject: Re: It was cool, it was all pretend (Jake) Wed Aug 01, 2018 5:56 pm

Azalea listened, unsure what else to do as Jake tried to reassure her that the only thing they had in common was doing alright, that she was happy. While she could no longer really read the man beside her, she had come to trust that he too had Mimosa's best interests at heart. For now, that would just have to be enough for the witch.

Until she asked Dad and Clara what the truth was.

"Did you think... I can see her soon?" she asked, the same uncertainty present in her tone. She had been doing better lately, she knew she had. If she was the same as she had been after her delivery, she wouldn't have asked the questions she was asking right now.

"I won't tell her anything," she rushed to clarify before Jake could interrupt to warn her of the dangers of exposing Mimosa to the truth. Despite her current condition, Azalea at least knew that nothing was worth unsettling her child's life. No truth could justify making a child question her origin. Azalea had grown up thinking someone had not wanted her enough to leave her and the idea of her own daughter even entertaining the shadow of such a thought was unbearable.

"I just... want to see her." the plea was soft, almost unspoken but the longing in it was clear. Jake still got to see the little girl fairly often, even if under guise of her teacher. Azalea hadn't even laid eyes on the little girl that was so much a part of her, it hurt to think about it. "Just for a little bit."

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Subject: Re: It was cool, it was all pretend (Jake) Wed Aug 01, 2018 6:09 pm

It seemed, somehow, Jake had said enough to convince Azalea that she didn't have to worry too much about Mimosa. But, he was not stupid enough to think that Azalea would just take his word for it, that it would dispel all fears. It wouldn't, not until Azalea could see, feel and understand that their daughter was doing okay. But, it it helped just enough in this moment, that was all he could hope for. There was still a long way to go before that would happen, though.

The question of whether Azalea could see their daughter soon was one that Jake faltered on. He had no say on that matter, Merlin knew he had no say on his own contact with his daughter, not really, but that didn't mean he would dismiss the idea. First, though, Azalea would have to understand that, at the moment, they couldn't tell Mimosa who they really were.

Almost as soon as he had thought that, Azalea was quickly rushing forth with the notion that she wouldn't tell Mimosa anything. Whilst Jake could understand the wish, he wasn't sure he trusted Azalea not to tell Mimosa who she was. He wasn't sure he trusted her not to scoop their daughter in to her arms and never let go. After seeing Azalea's reaction to her son being taken from her...

If it were him, he would never want his child -- any of his children -- to be out of sight again.

It would be something that would be natural.

"I think we'd have to ask your dad about that." Jake replied, using the safety of Kit being the ruling party on that one in his answer. He didn't want Azalea going back to Kit with the 'Jake said I can see Mimosa' kind of talk. Talk that could quickly cost him many, many things. "We just need to focus on getting you better first, then... maybe we can work out something that means you can see Mimosa. Maybe over the summer Mimosa will be in Carmel, so you will get to spend time with her? But, I don't know what her plans are, so please don't get your hopes set on that...

"But, soon. Soon I think you'll be able to see her, with your dad's permission." Jake finalised, giving Azalea a smile that he hoped showed he was sincere in that thought. After all, Kit couldn't keep them from their daughter forever, could they? They couldn't keep pushing Azalea out to have Mimosa home. No, at some point the situation would give, and Jake wasn't sure how that was going to go at all.

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~ Auror ~ Profile ~ DADA Professor ~
~ In a Relationship ~ 36 ~ Father ~ 6' ~ American Accent ~

» How long can one pretend to be okay? (Mimosa)
» I wish I could pretend I didn't need ya (Jazalea)
» Around Again (Jake)
» You Kept This From Me?!? (Kit & Jake)
» Sneaking Around (Jake)